The present invention concerns a rollbar for convertible vehicle with folding roof to protect the passengers in case the vehicle overturns.
There are known convertible vehicles having a protective rollbar integral with the vehicle body and moveable between a retracted position compatible with a folding roof set on the vehicle and a position in which, when the roof is open, the rollbar projects sufficiently above the vehicle back shelf to protect the passengers in case the vehicle overturns.
To optimize the vehicle functionality, especially for a very short vehicle, the rear passenger has to be seated as far behind as he can and the folded roof be put forward in the trunk as far as it is possible. These two requirements in combination with the inclination of the roof and the forwardly rotation of the back shelf restrict the rollbar attachment to a zone which is located in front of the package shelf.
This rollbar is bounded by the roof when the latter is closed, and must raise to a position located above the passenger heads when the roof is folded in the rear trunk so as to protect adequately the passengers in case the vehicle overturns.
Moreover, the zone where the rollbar is attached has to be connected to the vehicle frame, on a side part, in order to provide a rigid connection between the rollbar and this frame.
One aim of the present invention is to provide a protective rollbar which attains the above objectives.
According to the invention, this protective rollbar is characterized in that the rollbar consists of two rollbar elements mutually articulated at the top of the rollbar, the lower ends of each rollbar element being capable of sliding along a straight line parallel to the vehicle back shelf and located beneath said shelf, between a first position in which the two lower ends of both rollbar elements are mutually moved away while the articulation is close to said straight line, and a second position in which the two lower ends of both rollbar elements are mutually brought closer while the articulation is moved away from said straight line.
With this arrangement, the rollbar being at the first position, it does not encroach upon the available room in the trunk, nor on the room that could be used between the trunk and the passenger compartment.
Actually, at both positions, the two lower ends of the rollbar are located on a straight line which can be placed in front of a back shelf retractable so as to allow the folded roof to be passed and stored inside the trunk.
Preferably, the protective rollbar consists of two rollbars which are spaced apart and aligned along said straight line.
Also, preferably, each end of one rollbar element is provided with a wheel fitted in a rail extending along said straight line.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, bringing together or moving away the ends of the rollbar elements is controlled by the rotation of one threaded rod which engages the corresponding threadings integral with the ends of the rollbar elements, the thread pitch of the threaded rod being reversed for one threading in comparison with the other.
The rotation of one threaded rod can be controlled by means of a motor or through a pivotal movement of the folding roof between the position in which this roof is set on the vehicle and the position in which the roof is stored inside the vehicle trunk.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood from the description here below.